The fact that Buckeye wasn't open on Saturday when I was passing through definitely made me change my route in *creative* ways! San Diego to Yuma was no problem, and Yuma to Quartzsite was easy, but then I decided to slice the diagonal to Flagstaff and wander off the Supercharger network for awhile to go prospecting for other electricity sources, with all the usual hijinks and surprises. The good news is that yesterday's drive (at least portions of it) could be a perfect Tesla rally outing for future adventurers. Prescott's Chevy/Nissan dealer is listed on Plugshare as having a charging station, but they disavowed any knowledge of that when I called them seeking a place to charge. In fact, most of the town seems pretty strongly anti-EV so far -- check out the various angry comments posted by locals in their paper after someone proposed that EV charging be made available in town:
http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubsectionID=73&ArticleID=124208
I had to visit quite a few motels in Prescott before finally finding one with a 120 volt outlet, so I could at least get enough juice overnight to reach Sedona yesterday morning.
The drive over the mountain and through the forest to Jerome was memorable, and I was sorry I didn't take the time to stop in Jerome to stroll around, check out the galleries and the view, and have breakfast there as Cottonwood suggested. It's one of the few places I've visited in the US that reminds me of Italy's remarkable hill towns along the Amalfi Coast.
I grabbed a nice chunk of regen downhill into Cottonwood (the town) and then Sedona, where the need for a charge at the Sedona Rouge's 14-50 gave me the excuse to visit their spa for some relaxation in the meantime. These guys are well worth your business if you're passing through Sedona, and the Safeway right next door can hook you up with healthier food options than the Carl's Jr/Burger King corridor beyond. The drive up Oak Creek Canyon was memorable as usual, and it was great to have the acceleration to pass slower moving vehicles quickly. This road returned me to the Supercharger network in Flagstaff and a high speed cruise across I-40 to Holbrook and Gallup. Even at 75-80 mph, the normal cushion I add to EVTripper's range mile estimates was higher than needed because of the strong and persistent SW tailwinds that blew all afternoon. This made for very quick stops at each Supercharger - typically only 20-25 minutes. I caught a glorious sunset over the Navajo Nation heading north from Gallup to Farmington, grabbed my final charge in 10 minutes, and then rolled into Durango last night for dinner.
The whole road trip was 3115 miles for about $27 spent out of pocket on electricity in three California towns away from the Supercharger network - Santa Rosa, Merced and Oakhurst. Everything else was either from a Supercharger, at a friend's house, or built into the price of lodging. It's a new way to see America!